she had ever known. The President was pacing relentlessly up and down in his shirt sleeves, clutching a cup of strong black coffee. The First Lady was sitting in a chair at the dining table as if she were glued to it, tense and drawn, her hands clenched tightly in front of her on the table. Julia Wade still had something of the fresh-faced homecoming queen look that had attracted Steve Wade to her when they were both much younger. The blonde hair was shorter now, the fresh complexion was marked by a few lines, and the pale blue eyes looked tired. But she was still a beautiful woman. Julia had retired from a successful career as an advertising executive when her husband had first been elected President. She had never really adapted to her new role. She had the reputation of being aloof and distant, and was known to the press and the White House staff, behind her back, as the Ice Queen. With their two children away at college, Julia found the isolation of the White House depressing. Most of her friends were in New York, and she seldom saw them. She accepted her public engagements without complaint, and traveled with the President whenever it was required, but she felt as though life were passing her by. Ever since the evidence of her husband’s indiscretions had become too obvious to ignore, their marriage had been one in name only, and she had long since stopped believing his protestations of innocence. But he continued to expect her to support him in public, and pretend to believe his denials and excuses. Martha Graylor understood these dynamics very well, but they did not make her job any easier, especially today. She was sitting awkwardly in a straight-backed chair, trying her best to inject some calm into the situation.
‘All I’m saying, Mr. President, is that I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come to the press conference. Not today. I just don’t think there’s any need for it.’
The President stopped pacing, turned, and looked at her.
‘Well, I do,’ he replied. ‘This has got to stop. If the Post is running the story now, everybody and his brother will be running it tomorrow. We have to kill it once and for all.’
‘With all due respect, Sir, there’s no way to kill it. With any luck it will die a natural death, but we can’t help that process along.’
‘I can issue a denial.’
‘You’ve already done that.’
‘It wasn’t strong enough. I was ambushed. I didn’t react as strongly as I should have.’
‘Mr. President, I wish you would trust me on this. I was there. Everyone knew you were ambushed. Your reaction was completely natural. If you rush into another statement now, they may think you are trying to hide something. It’s going to look as though we are worried about it.’
‘We are worried about it,’ Julia Wade said through clenched teeth.
Martha closed her eyes. She found handling the President difficult enough in these situations. When the First Lady weighed in as well, she felt trapped between two powerful forces.
‘I understand, Ma’am. But we shouldn’t be seen to be worried. I don’t think it’s advisable for the President to rush back out there now. In a day or two, they are going to find the Benoni woman and interview her, and we will have to give them a statement then. Let’s hold off for now. Let’s wait to see what she has to say. It may be nothing.’
‘I can’t believe the Post would even print this crap,’ Steve Wade said, half shouting. ‘Don’t they have any standards over there any more?’
‘I called Harold and chewed him out,’ Martha said. ‘He wouldn’t tell me where they got the story, of course, but he did insist it was legitimate.’
‘Legitimate, my ass,’ Julia Wade said. ‘It’s obvious where they got the story. This bimbo is out to sell her story for whatever money she can screw out of the vultures, just like the rest of them.’
Martha took a deep breath before replying.
‘That may prove to be true, Ma’am, but
‘All I’m saying, Mr. President, is that I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come to the press conference. Not today. I just don’t think there’s any need for it.’
The President stopped pacing, turned, and looked at her.
‘Well, I do,’ he replied. ‘This has got to stop. If the Post is running the story now, everybody and his brother will be running it tomorrow. We have to kill it once and for all.’
‘With all due respect, Sir, there’s no way to kill it. With any luck it will die a natural death, but we can’t help that process along.’
‘I can issue a denial.’
‘You’ve already done that.’
‘It wasn’t strong enough. I was ambushed. I didn’t react as strongly as I should have.’
‘Mr. President, I wish you would trust me on this. I was there. Everyone knew you were ambushed. Your reaction was completely natural. If you rush into another statement now, they may think you are trying to hide something. It’s going to look as though we are worried about it.’
‘We are worried about it,’ Julia Wade said through clenched teeth.
Martha closed her eyes. She found handling the President difficult enough in these situations. When the First Lady weighed in as well, she felt trapped between two powerful forces.
‘I understand, Ma’am. But we shouldn’t be seen to be worried. I don’t think it’s advisable for the President to rush back out there now. In a day or two, they are going to find the Benoni woman and interview her, and we will have to give them a statement then. Let’s hold off for now. Let’s wait to see what she has to say. It may be nothing.’
‘I can’t believe the Post would even print this crap,’ Steve Wade said, half shouting. ‘Don’t they have any standards over there any more?’
‘I called Harold and chewed him out,’ Martha said. ‘He wouldn’t tell me where they got the story, of course, but he did insist it was legitimate.’
‘Legitimate, my ass,’ Julia Wade said. ‘It’s obvious where they got the story. This bimbo is out to sell her story for whatever money she can screw out of the vultures, just like the rest of them.’
Martha took a deep breath before replying.
‘That may prove to be true, Ma’am, but
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